Learning to Love the Broken Things in Life
by Ebullio
Summary: Roxas is a kid who's been abused, in more ways than one for over sixteen years- that is, until the place gets busted and he's taken into a foster care-like program, moving into Axel's house to stay with his family. Can Axel come to accept own problems and feelings as he falls for this strange boy, when everything seems destined to keep them apart? AkuRoku, Axel/Roxas.
1. Chapter 1: Moving Day

CHAPTER ONE: MOVING DAY

Today was the day. Today was the day some kid would show up in our house. My dad had volunteered our family for this foster care-like program. It takes in kids that have really messed up backgrounds and gives them a place to live for a while. My mom only agreed to it because of the rather hefty 'thank you' sum the company gives for volunteering. My dad on the other hand, is constantly doing things like this to help out 'those in need.' How he ever ended up with my mom was a mystery, though they say she was a different person when she was younger. He's always in and out of the house on business meetings, though- including today.

My mom and I sat waiting in the living room with a plate of cinnamon cookies my mom had baked to seem 'welcoming.' After about twenty minutes of playing on my phone, there was a knock on the door. A bright and overly chipper worker in a stiff red suit greeted us, smile plastered to her face.

"Well, this is he!" She enthused, turning to my mother, "Your husband should have most of his paperwork, but these are the legal..." I zoned out as she started speaking in technicalities.

My mother waved for me to get him out of here while the adults talked "grown-up." I reached out to take his wrist and lead him up to his room, but when he shrunk back and flinched slightly, opted instead to simply request he follow me. He seemed dazed as I led him down a few hallways into his new room.

"Well, this is all yours. Make yourself at home. I'm Axel by the way." I said, setting his things down next to the light blue comforter. He just nodded, eyes glazed over in thought, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Soo..." I began, trying to make conversation, "What do you think of your new place?" My question was met with silence as he just stared blankly at his shoes. I took a moment to study him. He was shorter than me, thin, and maybe about three years younger. He had scruffy, dirty blonde hair that swept to one side, the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen, and his jaw was clenched as if he were expecting the world to shatter into a million pieces at any moment. All he seemed to own was the Foster's pack I set down next to his bed and the clothes on his back. I wondered if he came from somewhere up north, as almost every inch of him was covered in thick, slightly-too-large clothing.

After a good while of silence, I heard a tiny noise come from the boy. A faint whistle interrupted my thoughts. I looked up only to find him in the same position he was in earlier, only hunched over. He had fallen asleep while sitting up. I chuckled to myself at how strange a sight this seemed- this super tense kid, completely relaxed and double over snoring. He actually looked kind of cute and innocent. Out of instinct, I took off my forest green hoodie that matched my eyes and laid it over him, afraid if I laid him down it would wake him up. Afterwards, I quietly excused myself from the room, muttering a quick "Goodnight" with a smirk.

As I got back to my room, I realized how late it had gotten, and how very _tired_ I was from all of this foreign commotion. As I drifted off into sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what this kid's deal was. I didn't even know his name- he hadn't said a word to me yet. My dad still had all of his background documentation with him on his trip, and hadn't bothered to brief us. For all my mom and I know, this guy could be a psycho druggie. Still, something pulled at my mind saying that wasn't the case. He was still on my mind as I finally fell asleep.

Wraiths. There were wraiths in the house. That was my first though when I woke up in the middle of the night with a jolt. It took my brain a moment to process that wraiths in the house wasn't actually a logical answer to the shrill noise pounding on my eardrums. Still, though, it sounded like screaming... Screaming! My mind flew to the new kid as I ran into his room with a bat, expecting some gastly night intruder.

I pulled the door open to find the room empty, save for a thrashing blonde kid rolling around in terror under the sheets. I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, before I quietly crossed the floor and shook him awake. His eyes fluttered open, dazed and terrified, taking a while to focus.

"...Axel?" A hoarse, raw voice whispered. I was surprised he even remembered my name. What with his silence earlier, I had gotten the impression he didn't like me. I took a good look at him.

"You're soaking wet. How could you possibly sweat that much over a dream?" I nervously joked. A frown touched his face, and I found myself regretting speaking before thinking. "Uh, why don't you take a shower? I'll wash your clothes while you're in there." I offered. I helped him up and to the bathroom. "Just hand me your clothes once you're undressed." After showing him where all the soaps were, I stood outside and waited for a couple of minutes. When I could hear the shower screeching for a solid ten minutes I got impatient and decided to simply walk in and pick up the clothes. Long-sleeved T-shirt, Pants, socks... (No wonder he was so hot, wearing so much in the middle of the summer.) I scoured the floor for his boxers, but couldn't find them anywhere. Where were they? A quick glance at the clouded glass shower door gave me the answer. "Dude.. Are you wearing underwear in the shower?" I asked. A long silence followed, and I wasn't sure if he was even going to answer.

After what seemed like twenty minutes, he called out, "I'm not... comfortable.. if I don't have them on." He had to be joking.

"That's ridiculous! Come on, take them off, I've got to put them in the wash. Don't make me take them off you myself!" I teased. I could see him tense up, before he curled into a ball in the corner.

"Please..." he pleaded. He was actually serious.

"Fine," I sighed, running a hand through my hair, "Have it your way." I marched back into my room, grabbed a pair of boxers, and marched right back out. "Here." I stated, throwing them over the door. "Now can I please have your dirty ones? I'm trying to do you a favor here." After a bit of shuffling while I stared at the wall, he hung a pair of red and black plaid sopping wet boxers over the door. "Thank you." I huffed, picking up the rest of the clothes once more.

I sat in my room, waiting for the dryer to beep. I couldn't stop thinking about him. What had unnerved me the most was what I could see through the cloudy door. Either he had some really weird tan lines, or he was covered- absolutely_ covered_, in white scars of all shapes and sizes. Thinking back, I guess his clothing choice made sense, then.

I heard the shower stream cut off, and walked back to the bathroom in the hall with a couple of my clothes. It feels like I should care more that this kid is using my house, my room, my clothes.. but something about him made me easily overlook these facts. I knocked on the door, opened it a crack, and gave him the clean clothes. "Yours aren't dry yet, so.." I trailed off, "Here. You can borrow mine." He came out in the black t-shirt and sweatpants, looking rather uncomfortable, hiding his arms.

I was right, they were definitely scars. They ran up and down his arms, criss-crossing in some places. Some were jagged, some were puffy, and some were thin and pearly. I could definitely tell these weren't self-inflicted. Worry overtook me, and without even thinking I was trailing them up to his sleeve with my fingertips. I glanced up to look him questioningly in the eyes, but he just turned his head to the side and looked away.

I gently pulled his shirt up to see how far they led up to, only to find an even more horrific sight. Cigarette burns spotted his chest and lower stomach, with many more small scars across his torso. Some even looked fresh. The worst was a long, jagged, diagonal scar running from his right shoulder to his left hip bone. I traced it with my thumb, with a sharp intake of breath. "Who..." was all I could manage. It was then I realized he was quivering and on the verge of tears. I hadn't even realized he had slowly backed up against the wall. I immediately removed my hand and apologized. I coughed and shook my head to clear my thoughts. "Uhm, you must be tired.." I said, and led him back to his room.

"You know, I never did catch your name." I said, trying to lighten the mood. Once again, however, I was met with silence. He seemed to have reverted back to the way he was this morning. I stayed for a moment by his bedside as he crawled under the covers. I shifted my weight, uncomfortable. "Alright, well, if you need anything, I'll be down the hall." I said, as started for the door when a frail hand caught the back of my shirt.

"Axel?" he whispered, with a gentle voice. I froze midstride, straining for what he had to say. "Stay?" I couldn't explain it, but I was drawn to this kid. I lay down on top of the bed next to his curled figure, back facing him. If I could comfort him from the nightmares he was having earlier, this would be a small price to pay. I felt him shift next to me in an attempt to get comfortable. After a while, he stilled and I could hear his breathing even out, but my mind was still racing with the past events of the day. Just when I was finally starting to nod off, I heard one final, whispered phrase, like a quiet wind on a still night.

"Roxas. My name's Roxas."


	2. Chapter 2: Mall Encounters

I slept inexplicably blissful that night. I woke up to a strange, but sweet scent, like honey and sunshine. It was warm.. I pulled the warmth closer, not questioning why I could get closer to the source. I breathed it in and took my time opening my eyes to the mess of honeyed hair nestled against my shirt. For just the briefest of moments, all seemed right within the world. I smiled and tucked him closer to me, just enjoying my slow, groggy morning. I looked down into his piercing eyes and grinned. "Morning.." I mumbled against his forehead. "No nightmares?" I got a small "mmph" in reply. It was in that moment that I actually woke up, and realized there was a guy clinging to me, in a bed. My stomach twisted and I abruptly sat up. "Hah. Hahaha. Haahahahaha. Well, I'll just go get.. yeah." I started nervously babbling as I backed out of the room. The confused look Roxas gave me as I excused myself stayed in my mind longer than it should have.

I opted to go take a shower, and hopefully wash some of the dirty feeling I had away. It was like a small churning in the pit of my stomach. What was I thinking? I'm straight. What would I tell my girlfriend? Then again, I didn't do anything wrong, really. It's not like we actually _slept_ together, we just slept together. I brushed the water out of my eyes, turned the water off, and shook it off. I was just helping him because he asked me to. He was having nightmares. That's all.

I dried off and got dressed. I shuffled down the hallway in sweatpants, with a towel wrapped around my neck, when Roxas stepped out of his room, dressed for the day. He stared, stunned at my bare chest for a moment before flushing and turning away, muttering something about there being food downstairs. I just shrugged and walked back to my room. However, when I came back out again, Roxas was wandering about, peeking around the corners. "Rox?" the nicknamed rolled off of my tongue subconsciously. He jumped when I said his name, "Are you.. lost?" He sunk down, defeated, answering me in his silent little way. I sighed. "Follow me.." I muttered, leading downstairs and to the kitchen table.

After a couple of minutes of eating in silence, Roxas broke the silence. "Thanks," He said, then "For last night." to clarify. "It's nice to have someone there sometimes, when the nightmares get really bad."

"Hey, no problem," I said, stunned for a moment at his sincerity and sudden lack of silence. Searching for a way to shift the conversation, I asked, "So, how about I show you around town today? If you're up for it, I mean. There's a mall not too far from here, and I could introduce you to a couple of my friends. They might be a bit older than you though, you're what, thirteen?"

For the first time, Roxas gave me an incredulous look. "I'm sixteen." He corrected.

"What?! No way!" I yelled, pounding a fist against the table and staring in disbelief. "But you're so tiny! And thin! How can you possibly be, like, a foot shorter than me if you're only a year younger?!"

"That's not my fault!" he argued back, as an annoyed look mixed with something I couldn't quite identify flashed across his face.

"Well, then I guess it won't be so strange. So whaddaya say?" I offered again.

"….sure"

We left after breakfast. I sent a quick text to Larxene, Sora, Demyx, Kairi and Zexion before I got into the car telling them to meet us at the usual spot. "You're going to love this place," I enthused, "It's got over one hundred different flavors of ice cream!" Once again back into silent mode, Roxas just stared out the window as the buildings rushed by. I didn't mind, though, and instead tuned the radio station to a generic pop station. Every once in a while I would look over to find Roxas humming quietly or tapping his fingers against his jeans.

We pulled into the mall's parking lot a good ten minutes late. When we finally made it to the ice cream parlor my friends and I had deemed our "hangout" about a year ago, the rest of the gang was already there waiting for us. Everyone was there: Larxene, my girlfriend, Kairi and her boyfriend Sora, and Demyx and Zexion, my best friends since kindergarten. While the rest of the guys jeered at us for being late and raised questions as to the identity of my new sidekick, Larxene placed herself by my side and gave me a quick peck on the lips as a greeting. At this, Roxas looked away.

"So who's the newbie?" Demyx bubbled, unable to contain his excitement over the new addition.

"This is Roxas," I said, giving them a 'no questions' look, "He lives with me now."

"Damn, Axel, did you even buy this kid dinner first?" Sora joked in his happy-go-lucky manner, earning himself a smack on the head from Kairi.

"Ha-ha. Very funny." I rolled my eyes and sat down. Our waitress came by to take our late orders, as the rest of the group already placed theirs. I ordered what I always got- a plain vanilla cone. Ice cream wasn't really my thing, but all of my friends seemed to like it well enough. When the waitress turned to Roxas, he seemed incredibly uncomfortable, and looked to me for assistance. "Just pick one at random." I said, not knowing what to tell him. Kairi took notice of the situation, elbowed me in the side, and gave me a 'what's-wrong-with-you' look before cutting in.

"He'll have a cherry popsicle." She told the waitress. As she walked off, she said to Roxas, "I hope that's okay. I got you what I'm having, since you seemed to be having so much trouble deciding." Roxas nodded, grateful. That's what was so great about Kairi. She always knew just what to do. A strange pang of jealousy struck me that she was able to solve his problems, but only momentarily.

Minutes later all of the treats arrived. We all talked and joked around, but I couldn't help but stare at the way Roxas could eat ice cream. I had to turn away after a while, else I knew I'd have an entirely new problem to deal with. I turned my attention to Larxene, who was going on about some dramatic event with one of her friends. When she got to a point that called for a sympathetic response, I reached out and gave her hand a squeeze, leaving it there and meriting an "aww" from the rest of the group. Roxas just stayed silent and continued eating his frozen treat; it was insane how much that kid liked popsicles, as if he'd never had one before.

Later, as afternoon was approaching evening, people started flitting out with places to be. Demyx left pouting to attend his shift at a local Starbucks as a barista, Zexion trailing close behind with a stack of books he intended to read upon arrival. Sora and Kairi went back to Sora's house to do I-don't-even-want-to-know-what. By the end, we all split up, leaving me with Larxene, Roxas, and the check.

"Damn them all, they did this on purpose! I'll get him one of these days, and their little dog too!" I swore, clenching the receipt in my curled fist. After I rather begrudgingly paid, we decided to walk around and browse the shops for a bit. As we walked, Larxene interlaced her fingers with mine, but I barely noticed. I was determined to get Roxas to speak with that honeyed voice again. I turned to him, ready to assault him with questions, when I realized he was studying me intensely. After about ten minutes of staring, I grew self-conscious.

"What, do I have something on my face?" I asked, swiping my free hand around my mouth. Roxas blushed. seeing as he'd been caught in the act. Larxene huffed at me, and at this point I realized she'd been talking to me the entire time.

"Have you even been listening to me?" she whined. "What did I just say? God, you're such an idiot. Why do you always have to screw up at everything you do?" she jabbed. It hurt, but I knew it was true. Larxene was always there to point things out to me. She was always willing to fix all of my flaws.

"Sorry..." I muttered. She seemed to be demanding more attention than usual today. It was almost as if she was jealous. I knew from the icy glare I got in reply that tonight would be a rough night. We paused to sit on a bench while Larxene hissed and chewed me out under her breath, scraping up old emotional wounds that I'd only just gotten over from our last fight. Roxas seemed incredibly uncomfortable and excused himself to buy a soda from a vending machine a couple of feet away.

I watched him as he retrieved his soda from the dispenser's slot before coming face to face with the man standing behind him. From my angle, his face was hidden from view, but I could tell he had long, pink hair. I could see Roxas tense up as the man touched his arm, causing him to freeze and drop his soda. The older man leaned over and whispered something in Roxas's ear , backing him up against the machine. Without thinking, I got up, practically ran over to where Roxas was standing, and ripped the pink haired man off of him. With the most menacing expression I could muster, I politely told him to "Step the fuck away from my Roxas before I call the cops."

I pulled Roxas into my arms, ushering him away. I could feel Roxas trembling in my arms, and soon enough the front of my shirt was wet. I speed walked him out to the car, holding him comfortingly the entire time. Once we safely reached the car, I set him down in the passenger seat and locked the doors, the eerie feeling that guy gave off stuck to me. I called Larxene, who I left in the food court, to apologize and let her know we'd be heading home and that she should do the same, that I'd meet up with her tomorrow. I hung up once she started to scream at me again, not in the mood to deal with her shit right now.

Turning to my right, I let Roxas calm down a bit before asking, "Hey, Rox.. Who was that guy?" His eyes glazed over with fear and pain as he relived memories flying through his mind. I put my hand on his shoulder for reassurance, and gave him the 'you-can-tell-me' look I'd seen Kairi give a guilty Sora on many occasions. He just let his head drop.

"Can we just drive?" he asked after a few minutes. Complying to his request, I backed out of the parking lot and hit the gas, driving to no where in particular. After what seemed like a long time, he started to talk.


	3. Chapter 3: What's under a person

CHAPTER 3: WHATS UNDERNEATH A PERSON

He took a deep, steadying breath. "When I had just turned eight, my parents died. My mom had had cancer for a long time, and I guess the stress got to my dad. He started drinking, he became angry at the world; I guess I was his outlet. When my mom died, all of my dad's will gave out, and my neighbor found him with a hole in his head in the kitchen the next day while I was at school." I slowed down and pulled over into an abandoned parking lot so that he could talk. I reached over and gave his hand a little squeeze of assurance, letting him know I was listening and urging him to go on.

"After that, I really had no place to go. I think I may have a second-cousin-twice-removed somewhere up in Alaska, but no other real family that could take me in. I lived in an orphanage for about four years, until I was twelve. It was a terrible place, really. They often had no food, and the women there were pure evil. 'Suzanne's Orphanage for the Lost,' I think it was called." I winced. I had heard of that place- it was only an hour or so drive away. All of this had happened to Roxas so close..

"So naturally I ran away. I lived for a couple of months on the streets, just generally begging and dumpster diving. I was so naive to think I could live that way," his voice grew quiet on the last sentence, then picked up again after a minute or two, "A-after a while, I.. This man, he.." he swallowed and started again. "This guy came up to me one day. He told me I was cute, that if I came with him he would take care of me. That he took in a lot of beggars." he drew his knees up to his chest.

"I went with him. He gave me a meal and a place to rest. He didn't bother me until the next morning, when.. when he said I had to 'repay' him for his kindness.." he went on, voice choking up a bit, "I tried to run, but he handcuffed me to the headboard. After he was.. finished, he must have hit me with something, because the next thing I could remember was waking up naked and locked up with a whole bunch of other kids in some warehouse. Every night, sometimes even more than once, someone would come, pay one of the men working there, and would lead us off to another room."

"Sometimes it was really bad; some would beat us, too; other times they took what they wanted and left. I tried to run away multiple times, but the main guy there, Xemnas- he was my most frequent customer- he always seemed to catch me. He would beat and starve us within an inch of our lives for running. Eventually I stopped trying." My stomach twisted with horror and disgust that anyone would do such horrible things to Roxas. I noticed tears streaming down his face as he spoke, and pulled him into a hug.

"About a month ago, the cops received an anonymous tip. The place was busted, and everyone was taken to the hospital. I can't remember how long I was there- I was mostly unconscious." I thought back a few weeks ago, and remembered seeing something along those lines on the news. It was one of the biggest whorehouse busts in a long time, and many of the kids they found there were beaten, underage, dead or nearly dead. "Once I got out, I was placed into Foster's care. And now I'm here. Babbling like an idiot to someone I met only a few days ago. You probably think I'm a broken case, huh?"

"No," I whispered into his hair, "_Never_." For a long while, I just let him cry on me. After that, he pulled away silently, back into his seat. I just stared at my empty hands as if I'd just lost the most precious thing in the world. I racked my brain for something, anything to say, but came up with nothing. Normally I could conjure the perfect comforting phrase, but in this moment, I was at a loss- and cursing myself for it. I let all of the anger, sorrow, disgust, pity, helplessness, and all other other confusing emotions running through my head pour out in a mess of words.

"Roxas." I stated. He looked up. "I won't ever let _anyone_ hurt you like that again. I promise. I'd sooner die. If I ever found who did that to you.." I paused, a knot forming in my throat, "I don't think I could be accountable for my actions." I gave him a look of sincerity and continued, "I.. I really like you as a person, Roxie. So please... just.. don't. be. sad?" I said, fumbling again. I sighed, running a hand through my spiked up hair. "Ah, jeez. I'm probably just making this worse, aren't I Rox? Normally I'm so suave, but I just can't seem to find the words to express how much-" A finger over my lips stopped me midsentence.

"Shh. It's okay. I understand." Roxas said, laughing a little, "and don't call me 'Roxie.' It sounds like a girl's name." He turned his head and gave me the smallest smile, and I realized it was the first one he'd ever given me. It was a beautiful and brilliant thing- that little, tiny curl that wouldn't even qualify for a smile if you didn't know the kid- it was something I immediately knew I wanted more of.

"So you can smile," I teased. I frowned as the comment caused it to vanish like a scared baby rabbit. Roxas huffed and shuffled in his seat as I glanced at the clock. "Whoa, It's almost one a.m.. We really need to get going." At that, I set the car in motion, and the rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence. After a short ride, we pulled into the driveway and I cut the engine. As we were walking up to the front door, I noticed the kitchen light was still on. We entered the house to find a sight I was praying not to find- my mom, waiting at the dining table.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. Roxas, go upstairs. Axel and I are going to have a little chat." She scolded. Roxas did as he was told and went upstairs. I was slightly jealous that he got to leave.

"Do you know what time it is?" she hissed under her breath.

"About one thirty," I replied quietly, choosing not to play dumb. It would only make things worse.

"One-fucking-thirty." she repeated, "You missed dinner. Do you know how much trouble I went through to cook your sorry, ungrateful ass a meal?"

I avoided her glares, and simply muttered an apology.

"You damn well better be sorry!" she shouted. "Get the fuck out of my sight. I don't want to see you or that orphan brat again out this late, or so help me god. I can't believe your father brought such filth into our own home. I'm leaving tomorrow on an overnight trip, so fend for yourself or something until Monday. I really couldn't care less." I took her order to heart, and got my ass out of there before she could start shouting again. I took the stairs two at a time, and found Roxas waiting for me in the hallway. I averted his eyes and shuffled into my room, muttering a goodnight. Just before I closed the door, he spoke up.

"Axel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For listening. For everything."

"Anytime, Rox. Got it memorized?"

I shut the door, then heard him shut his. I lay down in the darkness, my heart pounding, unable to sleep, when my cell phone buzzed.

**To: Axel Sinclaire**

**From: LarxeneGF3**

**Don't think I've forgotten today. I'll be over around noon tomorrow so you can repay me.**

I just sighed and closed my eyes, letting the peacefulness lure me away.

* * *

**Hey, thanks so much for reading. Please review, it means the world to me! You can even rant, I don't care! Tell me about your dog, even, if you want. I'll gladly read it! Haha, but really, thank you so much! **


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